Receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events

ABSTRACT

A receptacle for detecting delivery and retrieval events has a door sensor, an item sensor, a scanner, and a control unit for operating the sensors, and transmitting the sensor information for processing and analysis. A system can determine whether an event was a delivery or retrieval event based on sensor information and item tracking information. A system can further include an item configured to interact with a computing device.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claimis identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57. Thisapplication is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/466475,filed on Mar. 22, 2017, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/312,323, filed on Mar. 23, 2016,the entire contents of which are herein incorporated in their entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure relates to the field of transportation, delivery, and/orreceipt of one or several items and to the field of communication,tracking, and control of the transportation, delivery, and/or receipt ofone or several items. This disclosure also relates to an item receptaclefor detecting when a delivery and/or a pick-up have occurred, to furtheractions to be taken upon delivery or pick-up confirmation, andinteractions with physical items, such as mailpieces.

Description of the Related Technology

An item sender may wish to know when a sent item is delivered to arecipient and/or when an item has been picked up. A recipient may alsowish to know when an item has been delivered and is available forpick-up. Systems and methods described herein relate to receptacles andaccompanying systems to facilitate these notifications.

SUMMARY

In one aspect described herein, an item receptacle comprises a pluralityof sides enclosing an internal volume; a door moveably connected to oneof the plurality of sides, the door configured to open and close toallow access to the internal volume; a door sensor configured to detectwhen the door is opened; a processor in communication with the doorsensor, the processor configured to receive a signal corresponding to achange in state of the door sensor; a communication device incommunication with the processor, the communication device configured tocommunicate with a central hub; and wherein the processor is configuredto store a change in state of the door sensor and transmit, via thecommunication device, the change in state of the door sensor to thecentral hub.

In some embodiments, the item receptacle further comprises an itemsensor disposed within the internal volume, the item sensor comprisingan emitter adapted to emit a beam and a detector to detect the beam, andto identify a change in state of the beam, the item sensor incommunication with the processor.

In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to identifywhether a delivery or pick-up event has occurred based on the change ofstate of the door sensor and the change of state of the item sensor.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to store a change instate of the beam and to transmit the change in state of the beam to thecentral hub.

In some embodiments, the item receptacle further comprises a scannerconnected to one of the plurality of sides, and disposed within theinternal volume, the scanner in communication with the processor, thescanner configured to read a computer readable code on an item withinthe internal volume.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to instruct the scannerto scan the internal volume to read the computer readable code on theitem disposed within the internal volume.

In some embodiments, the processor is further configured to identifywhether a delivery or pick-up even has occurred based on the change ofstate of the door sensor and the reading of the computer readable codeby the scanner.

In some embodiments, the processor is configured to transmit a signalindicative of the computer readable code to the central hub.

In some embodiments, the item receptacle further comprises a wirelesscommunication device configured to communicate with an identifier tag onan item disposed within the mailbox.

In some embodiments, the item receptacle further comprises a powersupply connected to the processor and the door sensor, the power supplycomprising a solar panel attached to an external surface of the itemreceptacle.

In another aspect described herein, a method for using an itemreceptacle comprises, detecting, in a processor, a signal from an itemsensor located on an item receptacle, wherein the item receptaclecomprises: a plurality of sides enclosing an internal volume; a doorcomprising a door state sensor; and an item sensor; the method furthercomprising detecting, in a processor, a door open signal from the doorstate sensor; determining, in a processor, whether an item delivery orpick up event has occurred based on the detected door open signal andthe detected item sensor signal; and causing a notification of adelivery event to be sent to a recipient of an item.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises causing a notificationof a pick up event to be sent to a sender of the item or to a recipientof the item.

In some embodiments, the item sensor comprises an emitter configured toemit a beam of electromagnetic radiation and a detector, and the signalcomprises a change in state of the beam.

In some embodiments, an item delivery event is determined when the beamchanges from an uninterrupted state prior to a door open event to aninterrupted state following a door open event.

In some embodiments, an item pickup event is determined when the beamchanges from an interrupted state prior to a door open event to anuninterrupted state following a door open event.

In some embodiments, the item sensor comprises a scanner configured toread a computer readable code on an item within the internal volume, andwherein the signal comprises information indicative of the computerreadable code read by the scanner.

In some embodiments, a delivery event is determined when the scannerreads no computer readable code prior to a door open signal is received,and reads a computer readable code after the door open signal isreceived.

In some embodiments, a pick-up event is determined when the scannerreads the computer readable code prior to a door open signal isreceived, and reads no computer readable code after the door open signalis received.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises receiving, at theprocessor, location and time information from a delivery deviceassociated with a delivery resource assigned to deliver an item,detecting a time of the door open signal; determining that a deliveryevent occurred based on the location and time information from thedelivery device and the time of the door open signal.

In another aspect, a system comprises an item receptacle comprising: aplurality of sides enclosing an internal volume; a door configured toopen and close to allow and deny access to the internal volume; meansfor detecting a change in state of the door; means for sensing thepresence of an item; means for detecting a signal from an item sensorlocated on an item receptacle, wherein means for determining whether anitem delivery or pick up event has occurred based on the detected changein state of the door and the detected item presence; and means forcausing a notification of a delivery event to be sent to a recipient ofan item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features of the present disclosure will becomemore fully apparent from the following description and appended claims,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding thatthese drawings depict only several embodiments in accordance with thedisclosure and are not to be considered limiting of its scope, thedisclosure will be described with additional specificity and detailthrough use of the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for facilitatingdelivery and pick-up actions.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a receptacle tofacilitate delivery and pick-up actions.

FIG. 3 is a front view of an embodiment of plurality of receptacles forfacilitating delivery and pick-up actions.

FIG. 4A is a process flow diagram for an embodiment of a delivery andpick-up system.

FIG. 4B is a process flow diagram for and embodiment of a pick-up anddelivery system.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting an embodiment of a process forgathering sensor data from a receptacle.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting an embodiment of a process fordetermining whether an event was a delivery or pick-up event.

FIG. 7 is a process flow diagram of exception handling for a receptacledoor that is not closed.

FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram of IR beam exception handling.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made,without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matterpresented here. It will be readily understood that the aspects of thepresent disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated inthe Figures, may be arranged, substituted, combined, and designed in awide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitlycontemplated and make part of this disclosure.

Some embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to an item receptaclefor use in confirming delivery and pick-up of items. The item receptaclecan include sensors to determine when a receptacle door is opened, whenan item is placed in or taken out of the receptacle, and when areceptacle door is closed. The item receptacle can be in communicationwith a central server or central database and be able to transmit andreceive information related to the delivery and pick-up of items at thereceptacle.

In some embodiments, the item receptacle may be part of a plurality ofitem receptacles in a common location. The plurality of item receptaclescan share a common communication link. The item receptacle or pluralityof item receptacles are in communication with a processing unit thatcontrols scanners, detectors, sensors, and communication links for theitem receptacle.

In some embodiments, an item can be a “smart” item, such as a “smartmailpiece.” A smart mailpiece can have hardware and/or software embeddedin the mailpiece itself, in the contents of a mailpiece, and the like. Arecipient of the mailpiece, or any user, may be able to interact withthe mailpiece, with additional content, and the like using a computingdevice.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system for facilitating delivery andpick-up actions and other notifications. The system 100 comprises acentral hub 110, a sender interface 120, an item tracking system 130, anitem intake system 140, a receptacle interface 150, and a deliverydevice 160. The system 100 can be part of a distribution network, suchas the United States Postal Service (USPS). The distribution network mayown any or all of the components of the system 100, or may provideinstructions, such as an API or the like to allow other entities toaccess the central hub 110 to either provide instructions, identifyitems, or obtain information about items. In some embodiments, thecentral hub 110 can be a single computer, a network of computers, aserver, and the like. in some embodiments, the central hub 110 can be asoftware program that runs on a computer, a network, a server, and thelike.

The central hub 110 is in communication with the sender interface 120,the item tracking system 130, the item intake system 140, the receptacle150 and the delivery device 160. This communication can be wired orwireless communication. The central hub 110 comprises a memory 112 forstoring information regarding items, including distribution items. Theinformation stored can be that which was received from any of the othercomponents of the system. The central database can also comprise aprocessor 114 configured to interface with the memory 112 and othercomponents of the system 100, and to analyze the information in thememory 112 to generate notifications and cause further actions to occurbased on the information in the memory 112.

The sender interface 120 is in electronic communication with the centralhub 110 in order to transmit and receive item information and itemnotifications. The sender interface 120 can be embodied in a mobilecomputing device, a desktop computing device, can be an applicationrunning on a computing platform, a web interface, or a dedicatedinterface with the central hub 110. The sender interface 120 isconfigured to receive sender input regarding items to be sent, includingan item identifier, a delivery point, and any other desired information.In some embodiments, the sender interface 120 receives item informationfrom a sender, shipper, or mailer, the information identifying themailpiece, and/or a unique identifier to be stored in an identifier tag,such as a RFID tag, Bluetooth low energy tag, and the like, that islocated on or in the item or an identifier associated with theidentifier tag. In some embodiments, including special handlinginstructions such as delivery times, request for delivery and pick-upconfirmation, and the like. The sender interface 120 is furtherconfigured to receive additional information or content, such as avideo, a coupon, an offer, an internet link, or any other additional orsupplemental information. The sender interface 120 can provide theadditional information to be associated with the unique identifier so auser can access the additional information from the item when it isdelivered. The association between the additional information and theunique identifier of the item can be stored in the central hub 110.

The item tracking system 130 can comprise a memory and a processor, ormay be a network or server, or may run as a program on another processorwithin the system 100. The item tracking system 130 comprises processingequipment, scanners, and databases configured to track the deliverystatus of each item in the distribution network. The item trackingsystem receives item tracking information for items moving throughoutthe distribution network including every scan or read of the items, totrack the status, location, or position of each item in the distributionnetwork. The item tracking system 130 sends item tracking information tothe central hub 110 to update the central hub 110 regarding the deliveryprogress of items whose information is stored in the central hub 110.

The item intake system 140 may be a component of the item trackingsystem, or it may be its own system, comprising a memory and a processorand item scanning equipment. The item intake system is in communicationwith the sender interface 120 and can receive information regarding theinduction of items from the sender into the distribution network,including when items will be physically supplied to the distributionnetwork for induction. The item intake system 140 also communicates withthe central hub 110 to inform the central database when an item is goingto be, or has been, physically inducted into the distribution network.The item intake system 140 comprises item processing equipment, sortingequipment, an imager and/or a scanner, and the like. The informationregarding the destination of an item can be obtained from the item usingthe imager and/or the scanner to read, scan, or interpret a destinationor computer readable code on the item.

The receptacle 150 comprises a communication link to communicatereceptacle and item status to the central database. The receptacle cancomprise a control unit 152. The receptacle 150 will be described ingreater detail below.

The delivery device 160 can be physically located with or associatedwith a delivery resource, such as a carrier, vehicle, and the like. Thedelivery device 160 can comprise a scanner 162 configured to read acomputer readable code on an item to be delivered to the receptacle 150.The scanner can be a camera 162, a barcode scanner, an IR detector, aBluetooth-enabled scanner, or a combination of the above. The deliverydevice 160 also comprises a location sensor 164 configured to providethe real-time geographic location of the delivery device 160 and totrack and store the path of the delivery device 160, the data comprisinginformation such as breadcrumb data. The location sensor 164 provides ageographic location using a global positioning system (GPS), a cellularsignal, a Wi-Fi signal, or the like. The delivery device 160 is in wiredor wireless electronic communication with the receptacle 150 and thecentral hub 110. The delivery device 160 provides delivery statusinformation to the central hub 110. The delivery device 160 can alsocommunicate and receive receptacle status information from thereceptacle 150, including position or location information.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of an item receptacle 200. The itemreceptacle 200 is depicted having one transparent side and a transparenttop for ease of illustration. The item receptacle can be similar to thereceptacle 150 described above, including having similar electroniccommunication configurations and capabilities. The item receptacle 200comprises an external surface 210 and an interior volume 220 enclosed bythe external surface. A portion of the external surface 210 is showntransparent for ease of discussion and illustration.

The interior volume 220 can enclose a processor 222, a power supply 224,and a wireless communication device 226. In some embodiments, theprocessor 222 comprises a memory containing instructions to control theprocessor and the other electrical components of the item receptacle 200as will be described below. The processor 222 memory can also storeinformation received from electronic components described herein. Thesecomponents can be configured as a single unit, or can be discretecomponents. In some embodiments, these components can be external to theinterior volume 220, and can be in a weatherproof enclosure. The powersupply 224 can be connected to a solar panel 228. The solar panel 228can be attached the top of the item receptacle 200, or can be attachedto a support remote from the item receptacle 200, which is wired to thepower supply 224 so as to transmit electricity to the power supply 224.The power supply 224 is in electrical connection with the processor 222and the wireless communication device 226, as well as with otherelectrical components that will be described below.

In some embodiments, the power supply 224 is connected to a source ofpower, such as a transmission line, a plug, a building electricalsystem, or any other power source, as desired. For example, where theitem receptacle is installed in an apartment building or the like, thepower supply 224 can be connected to the building's power supply. In aremote setting, the power supply 224 can be connected to the solar panel228. In some embodiments, such as with a cluster box unit (CBU) a commonpower supply 224 and processor 222 can be used for multiple itemreceptacles 200 or multiple internal volumes 220.

The item receptacle further comprises a door 230. The door 230 isopenable to provide access to the interior volume 220. The door 230comprises a securement feature 236, such as a lock, latch, or the like,which can securely maintain the door 230 in the closed position, andwhich can selectively allow access to the interior volume 220 of theitem receptacle 200. The door 230 comprises a status sensor comprising afirst sensor 232 disposed on an inner surface 231 of the door 230 and asecond sensor 234 disposed within the interior volume 220 of the itemreceptacle 200. The status sensor detects the status of the door, suchas whether the door is open, closed, unlocked, partially closed, leftopen, or other desired status. The first and second sensors 232 and 234can be electrically powered and can return or provide an electronicsignal corresponding to the door status. In some embodiments the firstsensor 232 and the second sensor 234 are a magnetic sensor configured tosense whether the door 230 is open or closed depending on the magneticcoupling between the first sensor 232 and the second sensor 234. In someembodiments, the first sensor 232 and the second sensor 234 can be anelectromagnetic sensing system which detects an interruption orcontinuity of an optical, IR, microwave, radio, or other electromagneticsignal to determine the position of the door 230.

In some embodiments, the first sensor 232 and/or the second sensor 234are light sensors that detect light in the internal volume of the itemreceptacle 200. The light sensor can operate by sensing an increase inambient light within the internal volume 220 of the item receptacle 200that would occur when the door 230 is opened. In some embodiments, whereone of the first sensor 232 and the second sensor 234 is a light sensor,the item receptacle 200 need not have another sensor. In someembodiments, the first and second sensors 232, 234 can act as a mainlight sensor and a backup light sensor. In some embodiments, the itemreceptacle has first and second sensors 232, 234 configured as magneticsensors, and also has a light sensor.

The first and/or the second sensors 232, 234 are in electrical contactwith the power supply 224, and in electronic communication with theprocessor 222 and/or the wireless communication device 226. The firstsensor 232 and the second sensor 234 can communicate a status signal,such as a door open signal, door closed signal, or door cycle signal,including current door status signal, to the processor 222. Theprocessor can send the signals received from the first and second sensor232, 234 to the central hub 110 via the wireless communications device226.

In some embodiments, for example, where a number of item receptacles 200are located at a common place, such as at a CBU, or in an apartmentbuilding, the door 230 may be a rear door which provides a carrieraccess to all of the item receptacles 200 in the CBU.

The item receptacle 200 or cabinet 300 can comprise a scanner 240disposed on or mounted on an inner surface of the item receptacle 200 asdescribed elsewhere herein. The scanner 240 can be connected to with thepower supply 224 and the processor 222. The scanner 240 is positioned tobe able to scan a computer readable code 204 located on an item 202disposed in the internal volume 220 of the item receptacle 200. Thescanner can be an optical scanner, a barcode scanner, a RFID reader,near field communication, such as Bluetooth®, transceiver, and the like.In some embodiments, the scanner 240 emits electromagnetic radiation242, such as a laser, LED light, and the like, to read the computerreadable code 204 on the item and transmits the computer readable code204, or the information encoded within the computer readable code 204 tothe control unit 150. In some embodiments, more than one scanner 240 ortype of scanner 240 can be positioned within the interior volume 220 ofthe item receptacle 200 to ensure that a computer readable code 204 canbe read regardless of the orientation of the item 202 within the itemreceptacle 200.

The item receptacle 200 can further comprise an item sensor 250. Theitem sensor 250 can comprise an emitter to emit a beam 252, such as aninfrared signal, a reflector, and/or a sensor to detect a reflected beam252. The item detector can be positioned near a bottom interior surfaceof the item receptacle 200. In some embodiments, the item sensor 250 canbe positioned on a top and/or bottom interior surface of the itemreceptacle 200, near the door 230. This positioning allows the itemsensor 250 to detect the presence of the item 202 when the item 202 isplaced or inserted into the item receptacle 220. The item 202 willinterrupt the beam 252 between the emitter and the reflector and producea signal indicative of the presence of the item 202. The item sensor 250receives power from the power supply 224, and communicates signalsindicative of the presence or absence of the item 202 to the processor222. In some embodiments, the item sensor 250 is disposed on the sidewall, back wall, or door of the receptacle such that as an item isinserted into the receptacle 200, the item will break or interrupt thebeam 252, but that once the item is inserted into the receptacle 200,the item will move out of the path of the beam 252, and the beam 252will be restored. This can happen, for example, when an item such as amail piece is inserted at an orientation interrupting the beam 252,which item will then fall or lay flat on the bottom of the receptacle200, out of the path of the beam 252.

The wireless communication device 226 can send information and signalsto the central hub 110, such as through a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, orother wireless communication protocol.

In some embodiments, the components of the item receptacle, includingthe processor 222, the power supply 224, the wireless communicationdevice 226, the solar panel 228, the first and second sensors 232, 234,the sensor 240, and the item sensor 250, or any combination of thesecomponents, can be provided as a kit for a retrofit of an existing itemreceptacle 200. For example, a user having an existing mailbox, canobtain a kit comprising these components, sized, shaped, and designed tofit a standard or custom—type mailbox, including adhesive, attachmentdevices, screws, cables, wires, and the like, needed for the retrofit.For example, the processor 222, the power supply 224, and the wirelesscommunication device 226 can be a computing unit, such as a raspberry pi3, or other similar device.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of an embodiment of a plurality of itemreceptacles 200 in a common location, such as in a CBU. A cabinet 300comprises a plurality of item receptacles 200. The cabinet 300 has acontrol unit 352 disposed thereon. The control unit 352 comprises apower source 353, a communication feature 354, a processor 356, and amemory 358 in communication with each other. The power source 353provides power to the control unit 352 and to the sensors and detectorson the item receptacle 200. The power source 353 can be a solar panel, abattery, or a combination of both. In some embodiments, the power source353 can be an attachment to a power grid, generator, or other powersource. The control unit 352 can be similar to the processor 222, powersupply 224, and wireless communication device 226 described above, andthese terms can be used interchangeably without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure. Although the embodiments of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3are different, a person of skill in the art, guided by this disclosure,will understand that the features of each can be interchanged, orreferred to interchangeably, or that features described with regard toeither FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 can be applied to the other figure.

The processor 354 is configured to control the operation of the sensorsand detectors on the item receptacles 200, to receive the signals fromthe various sensors and detectors on the item receptacles 200, and tostore the received signals in the memory 356. The memory 356 can alsostore operation instructions for directing the operation of theprocessor 354. The processor 354 also controls the operation of thecommunication feature 358.

The communication feature 358 can be a wired or wireless communicationdevice for sending and receiving signals associated with the itemreceptacles 200 in the cabinet 300. The communication feature 358 cancommunicate via cellular 3G, 4G, LTE, or other networks. Thecommunication feature 358 can communicate via LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, nearfield communication, or any other desired method or protocol. Thecommunication feature 358 can communicate with the central hub 110 andwith the delivery device 160. In some embodiments, the control unit 352can be similar to

An exemplary embodiment of the operation of system 100 and itscomponents will now be described with reference to FIG. 4A. FIG. 4Adepicts an embodiment of a process flow diagram for the pick-up anddelivery system. FIG. 4A depicts operation of the system using the USPSand a mailpiece as an example. It will be understood that the USPSexample does not limit the present disclosure. As used herein, the termmailpiece can be synonymous with the term item, and can be usedinterchangeably therewith.

The process begins when a mailpiece 410 is generated. The mailpiece 410is generated by a sender, shipper, or mailer. The sender creates anelectronic record of the mailpiece 410. The electronic record of themailpiece 410 includes information regarding the mailpiece includingshipper ID, recipient, destination, service class, and otherinformation. The shipper ID, recipient, destination, service class, andother information created by the sender can be encoded in a computerreadable code on the mailpiece 410. The electronic record of themailpiece 410 is submitted to the distribution network, and to thecentral hub 110 via the sender interface 120. The electronic record cancontain a field or data entry indicating that the mailpiece 410 is to betracked for delivery and pick-up. In some embodiments, the indicationthat the mailpiece 410 should be tracked for delivery and pick-up can beprovided by associating an existing field in the electronic record, suchas shipper identification, with the desired service in the central hub110. Thus, the electronic record would not need to have a specific fieldindicating tracking delivery and pick-up is desired, but that theelectronic record would include a shipper identifier which the centralhub 110 recognizes as requesting delivery and tracking pick-up asdescribed herein. In some embodiments, the computer readable code on themailpiece can indicate that delivery and pick-up notifications arerequested. This can be included in a service class or other value withinthe computer readable code.

The sender interface 120 can also send a signal to the item intakesystem 140, via the central hub 110, or directly, indicating when (day,time, etc.) the physical mailpiece 410 will be provided to a location inthe distribution network, such as when the mailpiece 410 will bedelivered to a post office for induction into the mailstream. The itemintake system 140 communicates the intended time for delivery of themailpiece 410 to the central hub 110. This communication can instructthe processor 114 to commence an algorithm or routine to analyzeincoming data from the item tracking system 130 to identify when themailpiece 410 is scanned on processing equipment.

The mailpiece is delivered to a post office or induction facility of thedistribution network, and the mailpiece is scanned on mail processingequipment 420 where data for mailpiece 410 is captured. The data caninclude a computer readable code, such as an intelligent mail barcode(IMb). The captured data is stored in the memory of the item trackingsystem, and is sent to the central hub 110. The processor 114 analyzesthe captured data and compares the captured data to the item informationreceived from the sender interface 120. If the processor 114 identifiesthat the captured data corresponds to a mailpiece 410 whose iteminformation was provided, or is intended for delivery and pick-uptracking, the captured data is stored in the memory 114. This processcan repeat for each scan event on the item intake system 140, and onsubsequent scans, sorting, or processing on mail processing equipmentthroughout the distribution network, as the mailpiece 410 moves frominduction point to its intended destination. While or after beingprocessed on the mail processing equipment 420, item information,including item induction information, can be sent to the mailer orsender who generated or is associated with the mailpiece 410.

The mailpiece 410 will arrive at a delivery hub, or at a unit or localdelivery facility prior to being sent out for delivery to the finaldestination. The delivery hub or local delivery facility can be a localpostal facility, such as where a carrier collects items for deliveryalong the carrier's assigned route. As the mailpiece 410 moves to thedelivery hub and/or is sorted prior to going out for delivery, it isscanned by the item tracking system 130. At the delivery hub, a finalsorting of the mailpiece 410 can occur. When the final sort isidentified by the item tracking system 130, the tracking information issent to the central hub 110, where the central database identifies thatthe mailpiece 410 is out for delivery. The central hub 110 can store theidentity of all the receptacles 150 in the distribution network. Whenthe final sort or scan identifies the mailpiece 410 is out for delivery,this can trigger the processor 114 to look for signals from thereceptacle 150, via the wireless communication device 226, or thecontrol unit 352 for the item receptacle 200 for which the mailpiece 410is intended.

The mailpiece 410 is placed on or in a delivery resource 430, such as avehicle, a carrier, and the like, and a record is created in the centralhub 110 that the item is out for delivery. The delivery resource 430carries the mailpiece 410 to a receptacle 200.

At the receptacle 200, the delivery resource 430 places the mailpiece410 into the receptacle 200. the receptacle 200 will record the eventsassociated with operating the receptacle 200 and communicate the signalsto the central hub 110. The central database will then analyze thesignals from the receptacle to identify whether the signals indicate adelivery. This process is described in greater detail below. Thereceptacle 200 or cabinet 300 sends a signal to the central hub 110regarding delivery or pick-up of the mailpiece 410. The central hub 110stores the signals regarding delivery or pick-up of the mailpiece 410,and stores additional information, such as date and time of pick-up, howmuch time elapsed between delivery of the mailpiece 410 and pick-up ofthe mailpiece 410 by the recipient, and the like.

In the case where a delivery event is detected, the central hub 110 cangenerate and send a message to a recipient 470 that the mailpiece 410has been delivered. The message can include additional information, suchas the time of delivery, place of delivery, if different from a standardaddress (e.g., a P.O. box, a parcel locker, and the like), or any otherinformation the distribution network or sender would like to communicateto the recipient. The message can be sent via an email, text, phonecall, via a notification from an application on a smartphone, a socialmedia alert or update, or any other desired method.

The central hub 110 also sends information to a sender, mailer, and/orthe generator 460 of the item 410. This information can include deliveryconfirmation, delivery date and time, delivery location, and the like.

When the receptacle or cabinet 300 detects a pick-up event, as will bedescribed in greater detail below, the central hub 410 can send amessage to the recipient 470 that the mailpiece 410 was picked up. Thiscan be a security measure, or information to multiple residents of ahousehold that the mail has been collected. In some embodiments, thecentral hub 410 can send messages to more than one person associatedwith a delivery location, such as one or more of the residents at aparticular delivery location or address.

The central hub 110 can also send pick-up confirmation or information tothe sender 460 of the mailpiece 410. In some embodiments, the centralhub 110 can prepare reports for all mailpieces 410 associated with aparticular mailer or sender 460. The reports can include time frominduction of the mailpiece 410 to delivery and pick-up, and otherdesired information.

FIG. 4B depicts an embodiment of a process flow diagram for the pick-upand delivery system. The embodiment of FIG. 4B is similar to thatdepicted in FIG. 4A. The mailpiece 410 is inducted into the mailstreamor the distribution network via the mail processing equipment 420, orthe item intake system 140. In some embodiments, the mail processingequipment 420 is the item intake system 140 or is similar to the itemintake system 140.

In some embodiments, the mailpiece 410 can comprise an identifier tag412, such as an RFID tag, a Bluetooth tag, or other similar hardware.The identifier tag 412 stores or encodes a unique identifier, such as analphanumeric string, a particular frequency, a Bluetooth identifier, orany other identifier. The unique identifier is associated with themailpiece 410. The sender or mailer can supply this number to thedistribution network, such as to the central hub 110. This can occurwhen an electronic manifest is provided to the distribution network, orcan be supplied via the sender interface 120 when the mailpiece 410 isregistered. In some embodiments, the item intake system 140, or the mailprocessing equipment 420 can read the unique identifier, and associatethe unique identifier with the mailpiece 410. The association can bestored in the memory 112 to be accessed as will be described later. Themailer or sender can, via the sender interface 120, add additionalcontent associated with the unique identifier, as will be describedelsewhere herein.

After the carrier delivers the mailpiece 440 as described above, themailpiece 410 is deposited into the item receptacle 200. In someembodiments, the mailpiece 410, within the item receptacle 200, is inproximity to the wireless communication device 226. The wirelesscommunication device can read an RFID tag, form a Bluetooth connection,a near field communication (NFC) link, or other similar communication.In some embodiments, the mailpiece 410 interacts with the wirelesscommunication device 226. When the wireless communication device 226detects the mailpiece 410, the wireless communication device 226receives the unique identifier from the identifier tag 412, the wirelesscommunication device 226, together with the processor 222, sends asignal confirming delivery of the mailpiece 410. Similarly, after theconnection with the mailpiece 410 is made, and the mailpiece 410 isremoved from the item receptacle 200, the wireless communication device226 loses the connection with the mailpiece 410. The processor 222 andthe wireless communication device 226 determine that the mailpiece 410has been removed from the item receptacle 200, or, in other words, thatthe mailpiece 410 has been picked up. The delivery and pickupdeterminations or detections can be transmitted to the central hub 110,can be transmitted to the recipient 470, and transmitted to the sender460.

In some embodiments, when the recipient 470 picks up a mailpiece 410,the identifier tag 412 can interact with the recipient's mobilecomputing device 472. The mobile computing device can be, for example, aBluetooth enabled smartphone. When the identifier tag 412 connects tothe mobile computing device 472, such as via NFC, or Bluetooth,including Bluetooth 5.0 protocol, the identifier tag 412 can provide auser additional content. For example, the identifier tag 412 can provideexclusive video content, such as via an internet link, an application onthe mobile computing device 412, and the like. In some embodiments, theidentifier tag 412 can transmit a coupon or offer to the mobilecomputing device 472, or can provide a link to a website or otherlocation where a coupon or offer can be downloaded to the mobilecomputing device 472. The coupon or offer can be for a company, service,or other entity associated with the mailpiece 410, or can be associatedwith the mailer or sender 460. In some embodiments, the recipient 470can place the mobile computing device 472 on the mailpiece 410, and themobile computing device 472 will display a website, a video, or othercontent associated with the identifier tag 412.

In some embodiments, the location of additional content is stored in theidentifier tag 412 itself, which communicates the location to the mobilecomputing device 472. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device472 detects or receives an identifier from the identifier tag 412, andthe mobile computing device 472 communicates with the central hub 110,provides the identifier from the identifier tag 412, and the central hub110 provides the additional content associated with the mailpiece 410.

In some embodiments, the mailpiece 410 can be contained within a sleeve(not shown), such as a faraday envelope, that shields the identifier tag412 from connecting to a nearby Bluetooth, RF, NFC, or other similardevice. When the recipient 470 removes the mailpiece 410 from the shieldsleeve, the identifier tag 410 can be enabled to interact with themobile computing device 472.

In some embodiments, the identifier tag 412 can interact with an in-homecommunications device 474, such as Amazon Echo with Alexa, Google Home,Ski, Cortana, and the like. For example, the identifier tag 412 canencode a command for the in-home communications device 474 which canorder an item associated with the mailpiece, provide a coupon ordiscount for an order, or which will cause the in-home communicationsdevice 474 to call up websites, audio, and the like. in someembodiments, the mailpiece 410 can have printed thereon a custom phraseuseable with an in-home communication device 474 that the recipient 470can speak or input to the in-home communication device 474 to obtain adiscount, coupon, promotion, or other benefit from a supplier associatedwith the mailpiece 410.

In some embodiments, the mailpiece 410 and the identifier tag 412 cancommunicate with the in-home communications device to provide offers,services, and the like. For example, a merchant can send a Bluetoothenabled mailpiece 410 to a recipient. When the mailpiece 410 having theBluetooth identifier tag 412 come into the recipient's home, theidentifier tag 412 can communicate with an in-home communications device474. When the recipient is shopping on-line for merchandise, goods, orservices provided by the merchant who sent the mailpiece 410, theidentifier tag 412 can provide a signal to the in-home communicationsdevice 474 to provide a discount for the merchant's products, goods, orservices. This can occur when the device used for on-line shopping,computer, tablet computer, smartphone, etc., is connected to the samehome network as the in-home communications device 474. The in-homecommunication device 474 can provide a code or identifier from theidentifier tag 412 to a merchant's website or another website to providethe offer or discount.

In some embodiments, the identifier tag 412 can navigate the mobilecomputing device 472 to a website to order an item advertised on themailpiece 410. The actions taken by the recipient 470 and/or the mobilecomputing device 472 can be recorded and stored at the central hub 110,and/or can be transmitted to or accessed by the sender 460.

In some embodiments, the identifier tag 412 can operate with Bluetoothlow energy (BLE) can be used to connect to the mobile computing device472 without the need to pair or download any additional content. In someembodiments, the identifier tag 412 can provide reminders, add calendardates, contact information, and the like to the mobile computing device472. For example, in some embodiments, the identifier tag 412 can createa calendar appointment corresponding to a sale or special offer,upcoming product release, or other event associated with the content ofthe mailpiece 410. In some embodiments, the identifier tag can cause acontact, such as an address and phone number corresponding to anadvertised business or service to be saved to the mobile computingdevice 472.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart depicting an embodiment of an exemplary processthat occurs when the mailpiece 410, or any item, is delivered to thereceptacle 200. A process 500 can be used to identify an event at theitem receptacle 200 as a delivery or pick-up event. The process 500begins with the door 230 of the receptacle 200 in a closed position andthe first sensor 232 and the second sensor 234 are in proximity to eachother to signal that the door 230 is in a closed position. The controlunit 352 senses or receives a door closed signal and a signal from theitem sensor 250. In the case where the receptacle 200 is empty, the itemsensor 250 will detect that the signal is uninterrupted, indicating thatthere is nothing in the receptacle. The control unit 352 can sample thefirst and second sensor 232, 234 output at a desired frequency andrecord door status and item status at a desired frequency and generate arecord to store in the memory 356. In some embodiments, the control unit352 or processor 222 waits for a change in the door status or itemstatus signals before recording or storing a change in door status. Thatis, the control unit 352 updates a door status record or table in thememory 356 only when the first and second sensors 232 and 234 changestate of such as changing from coupled to uncoupled. The first andsecond sensors 232, 235 can also send a door status signal, such as aclosed or open signal. The door status can also be recorded in thememory 356 along with a time the event or door 230 status was sensed ortransmitted.

The process 500 moves to decision state 520, where the control unit 352looks for a signal indicating a change in door status. If no change inthe door status is sensed, the process 500 returns to block 510.

If a change in door status is sensed, the process 500 continues to block530, where the door open status is recorded along with a time at whichthe door open signal was sensed. For example, when the delivery resource430 opens the door 230 of the receptacle 200, the first sensor 232 andthe second sensor 234 are moved out of alignment or proximity, aremagnetically decoupled, or an IR, laser, photoelectric, or other signalis interrupted. The first and second sensor 232, 234 detect the door 230is open, and transmit the door open signal to the control unit 352. Thetransmission of the door open signal indicates that a change in doorstatus has been detected. The control unit 352 can record a change indoor status, and can also record a door status, either open or closed,and an associated time.

The process then moves to decision state 540 wherein the control unit352 determines whether there has been a change in item status asindicated by the item sensor 250. If the item sensor 250 detects achange in item status, such as due to changing the state of the itemsensor 250, as can happen as when an item interrupts the item sensor250, the item sensor generates a signal and transmits the signal to thecontrol unit 352 indicating the change in state of the item sensor 250.The item sensor 250 can also send a signal whether the item sensor 250signal was interrupted, indicating the presence of an item in thereceptacle 200, or whether the signal is uninterrupted, indicating theabsence of an item in the receptacle 200. If a change in state of theitem sensor 250 occurs, the process 500 moves to block 550 wherein thecontrol unit records the change in state of the item sensor 250 for thereceptacle 200 and the associated time. The presence or absence of anitem and the time of the event can be recorded in the control unit 352.

For example, and as will be described in greater detail below, adelivery event can be identified when a door open signal is detected,and thereafter an interruption in an item sensor 250 signal is detected,and the interrupted signal remains interrupted. This indicates that anitem 202 is in the item receptacle 200. A pick-up event can beidentified when a door open signal is detected, and thereafter aninterrupted item sensor 250 signal is removed, and the item statussensor signal returns to an uninterrupted state. This indicates an item202 has been removed from the item receptacle 200.

If no change in state of the item sensor 250 is detected in decisionstate 540, then the process moves to decision state 560, wherein thecontrol unit 352 looks to see whether there has been another change inthe door status. The determination of a change in door status, or anindication of door status as being either open or closed can be similarto that described above with regard to block 520.

If no change in door status is detected, the process returns to decisionstate 540 and awaits a change in item status. If a change in door statusis detected in decision state 560, such as a closed signal is sensedfollowing the open signal, the process 500 moves to block 580, whereinthe scanner 240 activates to scan the item in the receptacle 200. Thescanner 240 scans the item and reads a computer readable code or takesan optical image of the item, and transmits the information encoded inthe computer readable code or the image of the item to the control unit352. In some embodiments, in state 540 the item sensor 250 may notdetect an item in the receptacle 200, and thus, the scanner need not beactivated to scan the receptacle 200. In some embodiments, thereceptacle may not comprise an item sensor 250, and the scanner 240 isactivated following each open and close cycle of the door to detectwhether an item is in the receptacle 200.

If the scanner 240 newly detects an item after an interruption in theitem sensor 250, a delivery event can be identified. If, after aninterruption in the item sensor 250, the scanner 240 is activated, butno item 202 is identified in the item receptacle 200, a pick-up eventcan be identified, as will be described in detail below with regard toFIG. 6.

The process 500 moves to block 590, wherein event information istransmitted to the central hub 110. In some embodiments, the controlunit 352 transmits information about the door status and changes, theitem status, and information obtained from the scanner 240. The controlunit 352 can also transmit a unique serial number or unique identifiercorresponding to the cabinet 300 on which the control unit 352 islocated. Where a cabinet 300 comprises a plurality of receptacles 200,each receptacle 200 can be assigned a unique identifier that is recordedin the control unit 352 along with any status signals from sensors inthat receptacle 200. The unique identifier of the receptacle 200 istransmitted with the door status, item status, and scanner informationto identify the receptacle 200 for which the door status and item statushave been transmitted. In some embodiments, the item sensor 250, thefirst sensor 232, the second sensor 234, and/or the scanner 240 can eachbe assigned or associated with a unique identifier, such as a serialnumber, which can be transmitted together with the door status, itemstatus, and scanner information. This enables the central hub 110 toidentify which receptacle the sensor information is received from, asthe central hub 110 has a record of the unique identifiers for the itemsensor 250, the first sensor 232, the second sensor 234, and/or thescanner 240, and associates these unique identifiers with a particularreceptacle 200, or with a particular delivery point, such as an address.

The central hub 110 can receive the information and process theinformation as will be described elsewhere herein. The process 500 thenends at block 595.

In some embodiments, the event information is transmitted to the centralhub 110 as soon as it is received. For example, as soon as the door isdetected as being opened, the door open signal and change in status canbe transmitted or sent to the central database. In some embodiments, thecontrol unit 352 is configured to communicate or transmit signals over ashorter range. For example, the control unit 352 is configured totransmit information to the delivery device 160 when the delivery device160 is within a communication range of the control unit 352. In someembodiments, the control unit 352 and the delivery device 160 cancommunication via a Bluetooth, NFC, or any other wireless communicationprotocol or method. In this case, when the delivery device 160 is withinthe communication range of the control unit 352, the control unit 352identifies a signal from the delivery device 160 and initiatescommunication. The control unit 352 may be awakened by a signal from thedelivery device 160 such that the delivery device 160 initiates thecommunication. The control unit 352 transmits the recorded event datafor a specific time period, such as from the time of the lastcommunication with a delivery device 160, or for the last 24 hours, orfor any other desired time period.

In the case of the USPS, a delivery device 160 is likely to be at thereceptacle 200 or cabinet 300 once a day. Thus, the control unit 352 maycommunicate or transmit data once a day, when the delivery device 160 isin range. The delivery device 160 can be configured to communicate theinformation it receives from the control unit over a cellular orwireless network connection. In some embodiments, the delivery device160 can store the received information and transmit the receivedinformation to the central hub 110 when the delivery device 160 returnsto the post office and is connected to a network, server, or other wiredor wireless connection.

In some embodiments, rather than communicating item sensor and doorstatus signals to the central database, the control unit 352 maycommunicate door and item status information and/or scanner informationto a receiver within a residence, place of business, or other locationassociated with the receptacle 200. The receiver can be configured by auser, business, consumer, subscriber, or other party to sendnotifications via SMS, email, or other communication method when an itemstatus changes, such as when the item status on the receptacle 200changes. If the item status changes from an item present to an itembeing absent, the receiver, or the control unit 352, or the centraldatabase can communicate to a user, consumer, or subscriber that an itemhas been retrieved from the receptacle 200 along with a time of theevent. If the item status changes from no item present to detecting anitem, then the receiver, or the control unit 352, or the centraldatabase can communicate to a user, consumer, or subscriber that an itemhas been placed in the receptacle 200 along with a time of the event.

The central hub 110 uses the event information regarding door status,item status, and scanner information to determine what types of eventshave taken place and what further actions should be taken, includingsending notifications.

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart of an embodiment of a process for determiningwhat type of event, e.g., delivery or pick-up, has occurred at areceptacle 200.

Process 600 begins in block 610 wherein the central database identifiesa door open signal, or a change in door status from closed to open for areceptacle 200.

The process 600 moves to decision state 620, wherein the centraldatabase determines whether the opened receptacle 200 is associated withany items for which delivery and pick-up confirmation is requested. Thecentral hub 110 has stored item information for items for which deliveryand pick-up confirmations have been requested. The central hub 110compares door status information for the particular receptacle 200, asidentified by the unique identifier of the sensors or the receptacle200, with stored associations between unique identifiers and deliverypoints to identify the delivery point, such as the address, of thereceptacle whose door status has changed. The central hub 110 thenqueries the item information for items, received from the senderinterface 120, for which delivery and pick-up confirmation is requested,to determine whether the delivery point whose door status has beenchanged is scheduled to receive an item, or has an item intended fordelivery to the delivery point.

The central hub 110 can also take into account the timing of intake ofthe item. for example, a certain delivery point may have 2 itemsintended for delivery to the delivery point, only one of which hasrequested confirmation of pick-up or delivery. In this case, the centralhub 110 can look at the location of the receptacle 200, the location ofthe intake point of the item for which delivery and pick-up confirmationis requested, and information about the item location in the itemtracking system 130. If the receptacle whose door status has changed isscheduled to receive an item for which confirmation of delivery orpick-up has been requested, but the item tracking system 130 shows thatthe item is not yet out for delivery by a delivery resource, or that theitem for which delivery or pick-up confirmation was requested could notlogistically be at the delivery point yet, then the central hub 110 candetermine that the door open event is not associated with the item forwhich delivery or pick-up confirmation has been requested. In this case,the process will move to block 630 and end.

If the central hub 110 does not find an item for which delivery orpick-up confirmation has been requested intended for the receptacle, theprocess also moves to block 630 and ends.

If the central hub 110 identifies an item for which delivery or pick-upconfirmation has been requested, and the item tracking system 130 showsthat the item has been sent with the carrier or the delivery resource430, or is out for delivery, then the process 600 moves to decisionstate 640.

In decision state 640 the central hub 110 analyzes the item status fromthe item sensor 250 for the receptacle 200 whose door 230 has beenopened. The central hub 110 can look at the item sensor 250 status froma time before the door open signal and from a time after the door opensignal was received. If the information from the item sensor 250 showsno item in the receptacle 200 before the time of the door open signal,and shows a change in the item sensor 250 state (to sensing an item) ata time after the door open signal and before the door close signal wasreceived, then the process 600 moves to block 650 and indicates that adelivery event has occurred.

After it has been determined that a delivery event or a pick-up eventhas occurred, the determination is stored or recorded in blocks 650 and670, the process 600 moves to block 680 wherein the central hub 110sends notifications regarding the delivery event or the pick-up event.The item information received from the sender interface 120 can identifythe sender and the recipient and can provide a notification preferencefor notifying the sender and the recipient of the delivery or pick-upevent. The central database can notify the sender or recipient of theoccurrence of delivery or pick-up and the time of the delivery orpick-up via a telephone call, an SMS text message, an email, a socialmedia notification, a notification on an application on a computingdevice, such as a personal computer or smartphone, or the like,according to the sender and recipients preferences. The central hub 110can provide real-time notifications to senders and recipients where thecontrol unit 352 provides real-time information regarding door and itemsensor status. In some embodiments, the central hub 110 provides batchinformation or notifications, such as where the control unit 352transmits door and items sensor information in batches. Followingnotifications, the process 600 moves to block 690 and ends.

The central hub 110 can also compile data regarding delivery and pick-uptimes and compile service and performance metrics. The central hub 110can also analyze delivery and pick-up times to determine when the besttime to reach a recipient, or to find a recipient at home may be.

The following examples show how it can be determined whether an event isa delivery or pickup event. The events below can be similar to theprocess depicted in FIG. 6. For example, the first and second sensor 232and 234 or the item sensor 250 or both can be assigned serial no.23190367765 which is known to be associated with 12 Happy Valley Ct.,Plano Tex.

The door open data may show events at:

-   12:30:56-   15:12:12-   18:32:21-   06:32:23

The central hub 110 would know that the delivery resource delivered at12:30:56 due to other systems or delivery device 160 GPS breadcrumb data(as described below), and that the recipient picked up the item at15:12:12 on the previous day.

For a cabinet 300 comprising multiple receptacles 200, the data for thecabinet 300 may show the following times associated with sensors havingserial numbers as shown below:

-   231907907—23:12:32, 08:59:02-   376918662—18:07:12, 08:59:02-   918269901—15:06:34, 08:59:02-   129846919—14:17:08, 12:37:21, 08:59:02-   219836989—09:03:21, 08:59:02,-   437312908—08:59:02

Because multiple item receptacles 200 have door open signals at the sametime, the central hub 110 can determine that the delivery resource 430delivered items to the cabinet at 08:59:02. The central database 100 canalso determine that the other times can be when recipient picked up theitems, or that the items have not yet been picked-up, for example,sensor ID 437312908 shows only the delivery time, and no subsequent dooropen time. In some embodiments, the item sensor 250 information need notbe analyzed, and the central database can analyze only door statusinformation to determine delivery and pick-up events as describedherein.

In some embodiments, the cabinet 300 may be accessible by a deliveryresource 430 using a common door which allows access to all receptacles200 in the cabinet 300. For example, the cabinet 300 may have a reardoor which allows access to the rear of each receptacle. This door canhave a door status sensor that indicates that the rear door is opened,and can record a door open event for each of the plurality ofreceptacles 200 in the cabinet 300. The central hub 110 can examine suchan event and determine that only a delivery resource can open the reardoor, and so this event must be a delivery event. Also, the central hub110 can identify that an item sensor 250 status change occurring soonafter this door open event indicates a delivery.

If the receptacle 200 does not have an item sensor 250, or if theinformation from the item sensor 250 is inconclusive, defective,missing, or otherwise not useable, and if the receptacle 200 comprisesan item scanner 240, then the process moves to block 660, wherein it isdetermined whether the scanner 240 detected and scanned an item in thereceptacle. The central hub 110 analyzes the information from thescanner 240 to determine whether an item was scanned, and what the iteminformation for the scanned item is. If the item scanner detects anitem, then the process 600 moves to block 650, wherein it is determinedthat a delivery event has occurred. In some embodiments, the scanner 240can operate in conjunction with the item sensor 250.

In some embodiments, where the item sensor 250 information is notavailable, such as where an item sensor 250 is not installed, or isdefective, or simply in addition to the item sensor 250 information, adelivery event of the item 202 can be confirmed by analyzing theinformation from the delivery device 160, such as GPS location data,time data, item scan data, and the like, in conjunction with the dooropen signal. To illustrate, the delivery device 160 provides locationdata, which can be called GPS breadcrumb, and can show the path taken bythe carrier with the delivery device 160. On a door open signal from aparticular receptacle, the central hub 110 determines the identity ofthe delivery device 160 which is assigned to deliver items to theparticular receptacle 200 for which the door open signal has beenreceived. The central hub 110 accesses the location data or breadcrumbdata for that delivery device 160, and identifies the time at which thedelivery device was in a geographic vicinity of the receptacle 200 forwhich the door open signal was received. If the time of the door opensignal is within a time window, or corresponds to a time that thedelivery device 160 was at or near the receptacle 200, the central hub110 can determine that a delivery event has taken place.

In some embodiments, the delivery device 160 can scan an item prior todepositing the item 202 in the receptacle 200. The GPS location of thedelivery device 160 at the time of the scan of the item intended fordelivery to a particular item receptacle 200 can be stored at thedelivery device, transmitted to the control unit 352 and/or the centralhub 110. The scan event and the GPS data, in combination with a dooropen signal, an item status signal, or any combination of the above canbe interpreted as a delivery event, because the GPS location and theitem scan are indicative of a carrier in the vicinity of the receptacle200, and the door open event and the item sensor 250 signal are within atime window of the item scan event by the delivery device 160.

If the breadcrumb data for the delivery device 160 shows that thedelivery device 160 was at or near the receptacle at a time before thetime of the door open signal, and if there was an item for delivery tothat receptacle on that day, then the central hub 110 can determine thatthe door open event was a pick-up event.

Breadcrumb data can be used in conjunction with item sensor 250information. For example, if the breadcrumb data from the deliverydevice 160 shows that the delivery device 160 was in a specificgeographic area, such as a geofence, associated with the receptacle 200,or was near the receptacle 200 at a time corresponding to when thereceptacle 200 detected an item via item sensor 250, or detected achange in state of the item sensor 250, then a delivery can beconfirmed.

In some embodiments, the scanner 240 information can be used in lieu ofinformation from the item sensor 250 and the door sensor. For example,if the central hub 110 receives scan information for an item from ascanner 240 in a receptacle 200, the item information from the scanner240 is compared to the item information for items for which delivery andpick-up confirmation has been requested. If the item information fromthe scanner 240 matches an item for which delivery or pick-upconfirmation is requested, the central database can determine that adelivery event has taken place, without analyzing door open data anditem sensor 250 data.

If the item sensor does not indicate the presence of an item, or if thescanner 240 does not detect an item, the central processor can evaluatethe item sensor 250 status at a point before the time of the door opensignal and at a time after the time of the door open signal. If the itemsensor 250 indicated that an item was present in the receptacle 200before the time of the door open signal, and that the item sensor 250status changed after the time of the door open signal and before thetime of a door closed signal, the process 600 can move to block 670,wherein the central hub 110 determines that a pick-up event hasoccurred.

In some embodiments, the delivery resource 430 will scan the computerreadable code on an item using the delivery device 160 prior to placingthe item in the receptacle 200. The central hub 110 will process theitem information from scanned computer readable code from the deliverydevice 160 and cross reference the item information with the informationfrom the receptacle regarding the opening of the door 230 of thereceptacle 200. If the processor 114 identifies an open signal from thereceptacle 200 to which the item was to be delivered at or near the sametime as a scan signal from the delivery device 160 of the deliveryresource 430 to which the item had been assigned, then the processor 114and the central hub 110 identifies that the item was delivered. In thisinstance, the central hub 110 will identify that a delivery event hasoccurred.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of a process flow diagram for adelivery and pick-up at a receptacle. In a process 700, data flows andcommunications regarding an exception for a door 230 not being closedare depicted. The process 700 begins in step 702, wherein the first andsecond sensors 232, 234 indicate that the door 230 on the itemreceptacle 200 has been opened. The processor 222, or the control unit352 starts a timer, or periodically checks the door status. For ease ofdiscussion, control unit 352 will be referred to in this and subsequentfigures, but it is understood that the functionality of the control unit352 can be provided by the processor 222 and its related components.

If the control unit 352 detects that the door 230 has been open for aspecified period of time, or longer, such as 60 seconds, 2 minutes, 5minutes, or any other desired time, the process 700 moves to step 704,wherein the control unit 352 communicates to the central hub 110 thatthe door 230 has been open for the specified period of time. In someembodiments, the control unit 352 attempts to communicate with thedelivery device 160 directly, or through the control hub 160 to notifythe carrier that the door 230 has been left open. In some embodiments,this communication to the delivery device 160 can be sent when thecontrol unit 352 or the central hub 110 has determined a delivery eventhas happened recently, such as within the last 5 minutes, the last 30minutes, or any other desired time. In some embodiments, if the centralhub 110 or the control unit 352 has determined that a pick-up event hasjust occurred, the central hub 110, or the control unit 352, or bothcommunicate with the recipient, such as with the mobile communicationdevice 472 that the door 230 is open. This can inform the recipient thathe or she left the door 230 open, or that there is some problem with thedoor, and instruct the recipient to close the door 230.

The process 700 moves to step 706, wherein the recipient or the carrieror some other party closes the door 230 or attempts to close the door.In some embodiments, step 706 can be a predetermined wait time aftercommunicating the door open status. For example, step 706 can be a 1hour wait, a 2 hour wait, a 12 hour wait, a 24 hour wait, or any otherdesired time period. In some embodiments, the wait time can be adjustedaccording to the time of day when the door open signal was detected.After the wait period, another communication to the recipient or thecarrier, or another party identified by the recipient is sent. If thedoor is left open at night, a repeat message can be sent sooner, so asto try and get the door 230 closed sooner. If the door 230 is left openin the morning, and the carrier is expected within an hour, or anothertime period, the control unit 352 or the central hub 110 may not send arepeat message, because the carrier will be along soon, and can shut thedoor 230.

The process 700 moves to decision state 708 wherein it is determined ifthe door 230 is now closed. The first and second sensors 232, 234 can berechecked in a step 710 to determine if a door closed signal is present.

If the door 230 is detected as being closed, the process moves to step712, wherein the control unit 352 communicates the change to the centralhub 110, to the carrier, or both. The process 700 moves to step 714,wherein the recipient is notified that the door 230 is now closed, andthe process ends.

FIG. 8 is a process flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a process ofIR beam exception handling. The IR beam can refer to the beam 252generated by the item sensor 250. The process 800 begins when thecontrol hub 352 identifies that the door 230 is closed, but that thebeam 252 is broken. In some embodiments, the item sensor 250 is placedhigher in the item receptacle so that the beam 252 is broken when anitem 202 is inserted, such as a letter, but is not broken when the item202 rests on a floor of the internal volume 220 of the item receptacle200. In this event, an indication that the beam 252 is broken but thedoor is closed can indicate that the recipient did not pick upeverything from the item recieptacle 200, that something is stuck or notproperly within the item receptacle 200.

The process 800 moves to step 802 wherein a message is sent regardingthe broken beam 252. In some embodiments, the message can be sent to thecarrier, or to the recipient, or both. For example, if the carrier hasrecently been at the item receptacle 200, as identified by GPSbreadcrumbs from the delivery device 160, or based on a scan event fromthe delivery device for an item 202 deposited into the item receptacle200, the message can be sent to the carrier, and not to the recipient.If a pick-up event has just occurred, as described elsewhere herein, themessage can be sent to the recipient and not to the carrier.

In some embodiments, an item 202 can be large enough that the beam 252will be broken by the item 202 while the item 202 awaits pickup. In thissituation, the control unit 352 can determine that the reason the beam252 is broken and the door is closed, is because a delivery event justoccurred, or that the pickup event has not yet occurred. If the controlunit 352 determines a specified pick-up time period has passed, such as12 hours, one day, or more, the control unit 352, and/or the control hub110 can send a reminder to the recipient to pick up the item 202, andthe exception or error message will not be sent.

The process moves to step 806 wherein the carrier or the recipientinvestigates what is breaking the beam 252. The step 806 may also be await time similar to step 706 described above. The process 800 moves todecision state 808, wherein it is determined whether the beam 252 is nowunbroken and the door 230 is closed.

If the beam 252 is unbroken and the door 230 is closed, the processmoves to step 810 wherein the control unit sends a message to thecontrol hub 110 that the beam exception or error is cleared. The process800 moves to step 812 wherein the carrier and/or the recipient arenotified that the beam exception or error is cleared, and the process800 ends.

Those of skill will recognize that the various illustrative logicalblocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronichardware, software stored on a computer readable medium and executableby a processor, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate thisinterchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrativecomponents, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been describedabove generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the present invention.

The logical blocks, modules and flow chart sequences are illustrativeonly. A person of skill in the art will understand that the steps,decisions, and processes embodied in the flowcharts described herein maybe performed in an order other than that described herein. Thus, theparticular flowcharts and descriptions are not intended to limit theassociated processes to being performed in the specific order described.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits describedin connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implementedor performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signalprocessor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), afield programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with theembodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in asoftware module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two.A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory,EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, aCD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Anexemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such the processorreads information from, and write information to, the storage medium. Inthe alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor.The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout novel features of the invention as applied to various embodiments,it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changesin the form and details of the device or process illustrated may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of theinvention. As will be recognized, the present invention may be embodiedwithin a form that does not provide all of the features and benefits setforth herein, as some features may be used or practiced separately fromothers. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claimsrather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come withinthe meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embracedwithin their scope.

A person skilled in the art will recognize that each of thesesub-systems may be inter-connected and controllably connected using avariety of techniques and hardware and that the present disclosure isnot limited to any specific method of connection or connection hardware.

The technology is operational with numerous other general purpose orspecial purpose computing system environments or configurations.Examples of well-known computing systems, environments, and/orconfigurations that may be suitable for use with the invention include,but are not limited to, personal computers, server computers, hand-heldor laptop devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based systems,a microcontroller or microcontroller based system, programmable consumerelectronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframe computers,distributed computing environments that include any of the above systemsor devices, and the like.

As used herein, instructions refer to computer-implemented steps forprocessing information in the system. Instructions may be implemented insoftware, firmware or hardware and include any type of programmed stepundertaken by components of the system.

A microprocessor may be any conventional general purpose single- ormulti-chip microprocessor such as a Pentium® processor, a multicoreprocessor, a system on a chip, a Pentium® Pro processor, a 8051processor, a MIPS® processor, a Power PC® processor, Alpha® processor, amicrocontroller, an Intel CORE i7®, i5®, or i3® processor, an AMDPhenom®, A-series®, or FX® processor, or any other microprocessor ormicroprocessor array. In addition, the microprocessor may be anyconventional special purpose microprocessor such as a digital signalprocessor or a graphics processor. The microprocessor typically hasconventional address lines, conventional data lines, and one or moreconventional control lines.

The system may be used in connection with various operating systems suchas Linux®, UNIX® or Microsoft Windows®.

The system control may be written in any conventional programminglanguage such as C, C++, BASIC, Pascal, .NET (e.g., C#), Java, HTML, orother programming language and run under a conventional operatingsystem. C, C++, BASIC, Pascal, Java, and FORTRAN are industry standardprogramming languages for which many commercial compilers may be used tocreate executable code. The system control may also be written usinginterpreted languages such as Perl, Python or Ruby. Other languages mayalso be used such as PHP, JavaScript, and the like.

The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems,devices, and methods disclosed herein. It will be appreciated, however,that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the systems,devices, and methods may be practiced in many ways. As is also statedabove, it should be noted that the use of particular terminology whendescribing certain features or aspects of the invention should not betaken to imply that the terminology is being re-defined herein to berestricted to including any specific characteristics of the features oraspects of the technology with which that terminology is associated.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes may be made without departing from the scopeof the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intendedto fall within the scope of the embodiments. It will also be appreciatedby those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment areinterchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from adepicted embodiment may be included with other depicted embodiments inany combination. For example, any of the various components describedherein and/or depicted in the Figures may be combined, interchanged orexcluded from other embodiments.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art may translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term“including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” theterm “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term“includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,”etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if aspecific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such anintent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “atleast one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use ofdefinite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, evenif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitlyrecited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitationshould typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number(e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without othermodifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or morerecitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a conventionanalogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in generalsuch a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the artwould understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one ofA, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have Aalone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where aconvention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, ingeneral such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill inthe art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at leastone of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that haveA alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and Ctogether, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be furtherunderstood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive wordand/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in thedescription, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplatethe possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, orboth terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood toinclude the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety. To the extent publications and patents or patentapplications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosurecontained in the specification, the specification is intended tosupersede and/or take precedence over any such contradictory material.

The term “comprising” as used herein is synonymous with “including,”“containing,” or “characterized by,” and is inclusive or open-ended anddoes not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

All numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions,and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understoodas being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly,unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth inthe specification and attached claims are approximations that may varydepending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by thepresent invention. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit theapplication of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims,each numerical parameter should be construed in light of the number ofsignificant digits and ordinary rounding approaches.

The above description discloses several methods and materials of thepresent invention. This invention is susceptible to modifications in themethods and materials, as well as alterations in the fabrication methodsand equipment. Such modifications will become apparent to those skilledin the art from a consideration of this disclosure or practice of theinvention disclosed herein. Consequently, it is not intended that thisinvention be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, butthat it cover all modifications and alternatives coming within the truescope and spirit of the invention as embodied in the attached claims.

We claim:
 1. A method for using an item receptacle, comprising:detecting, in a processor, a signal from an item sensor located on anitem receptacle, the item receptacle having a plurality of sidesenclosing an internal volume, a door comprising a door state sensor, andan item sensor; detecting, in a processor, a door open signal from thedoor state sensor; determining, in a processor, whether an item deliveryor pick up event has occurred based on the detected door open signal andthe detected item sensor signal; and causing a notification of adelivery event to be sent to a recipient of an item.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising causing a notification of a pickup event tobe sent to a sender of the item or to a recipient of the item.
 3. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the item sensor comprises an emitterconfigured to emit a beam of electromagnetic radiation and a detector,and the signal comprises a change in state of the beam.
 4. The method ofclaim 3, wherein an item delivery event is determined when the beamchanges from an uninterrupted state prior to a door open event to aninterrupted state following a door open event.
 5. The method of claim 3,wherein an item pickup event is determined when the beam changes from aninterrupted state prior to a door open event to an uninterrupted statefollowing a door open event.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the itemsensor comprises a scanner configured to read a computer readable codeon the item within the internal volume, and wherein the signal comprisesinformation indicative of the computer readable code read by thescanner.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein a delivery event isdetermined when the scanner reads no computer readable code prior to adoor open signal being received, and reads a computer readable codeafter the door open signal is received.
 8. The method of claim 1,wherein a pick-up event is determined when the scanner reads thecomputer readable code prior to a door open signal is received, andreads no computer readable code after the door open signal is received.9. A method for using an item receptacle, comprising: detecting, in aprocessor, a signal from an item sensor located on an item receptacle,the item receptacle having a plurality of sides enclosing an internalvolume, a door comprising a door state sensor, and an item sensor;detecting, in a processor, a door open signal from the door statesensor; determining, in a processor, whether an item delivery or pick upevent has occurred based on the detected door open signal and thedetected item sensor signal; causing a notification of a delivery eventto be sent to a recipient of an item; receiving, at the processor,location and time information from a delivery device associated with adelivery resource assigned to deliver an item; detecting a time of thedoor open signal; and determining that a delivery event occurred basedon the location and time information from the delivery device and thetime of the door open signal.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein theitem sensor comprises an emitter configured to emit a beam ofelectromagnetic radiation and a detector, and the signal comprises achange in state of the beam.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein an itemdelivery event is determined when the beam changes from an uninterruptedstate prior to a door open event to an interrupted state following adoor open event.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein an item pickupevent is determined when the beam changes from an interrupted stateprior to a door open event to an uninterrupted state following a dooropen event.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein the item receptaclefurther comprises a scanner, wherein a delivery event is determined whenthe scanner reads no computer readable code prior to a door open signalbeing received, and reads a computer readable code after the door opensignal is received.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein a pick-up eventis determined when the scanner reads the computer readable code prior toa door open signal is received, and reads no computer readable codeafter the door open signal is received.
 15. A system, comprising: anitem receptacle comprising: a plurality of sides enclosing an internalvolume; a door configured to open and close to allow and deny access tothe internal volume; means for detecting a change in state of the door;means for sensing the presence of an item; means for detecting a signalfrom an item sensor located on an item receptacle; and means fordetermining whether an item delivery or pick up event has occurred basedon the detected change in state of the door and the detected itempresence; and means for causing a notification of a delivery event to besent to a recipient of an item.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein themeans for detecting a change in state of the door comprises anelectromagnetic sensing system.
 17. The system of claim 15, wherein themeans for sensing the presence of an item comprises a scanner.
 18. Thesystem of claim 15, wherein the means for detecting a signal from anitem sensor located on an item receptacle comprises an emitter and adetector.
 19. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for determiningwhether an item delivery or pick up event has occurred comprises aprocessor.
 20. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for causing anotification of a delivery event to be sent to a recipient of an itemcomprises a wireless communication device configured to communicate withan identifier tag on an item disposed within the item receptacle.